Through the Passage of Time
by xXBabyxDollxLaceXx
Summary: The lives of two friends change over time. They grow and mature and are blind to what is clear to everyone else, there is something more than just camaraderie between the two, there's warmth.
1. Orange Shebert

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: This is the first time in four years that I have published anything, I kinda just woke up one day and I had this story just buzzing around in my head. So I decided to share with all of you.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All Naruto characters belong to Viz and Masashi Kishimoto.

Orange Sherbert

Sitting in the porch of a restaurant under a fan, two of Konoha's shinobi sat reading their menus. It was an unusually hot day and after hours of begging from a certain female teammate to end training early in order to enjoy frozen desserts, Neji succumbed to Tenten's pleas. It was not often his teammate asked to end training early and he knew she was not particularly fond of hot days. She always sparred with him willingly whenever he asked her without complaints, so as a reward he always indulged her requests on days such as this.

The dark haired male had already made a decision and sat patiently waiting on his female counterpart to do the same. Every time he brought her to a new restaurant she felt it necessary to read over the whole menu ever so slowly only to be faced with indecision and have him make a choice for her. He didn't mind her obnoxious habit and he always knew what she would enjoy best. After all, they had been teammates for years and he practically knew her better than she knew herself.

The menu hid her from his unwavering stare. She knew he was staring, it was his way of letting her know he was waiting on her to give up her futile search for a treat. He was the one who was going to make a decision for her anyway, but she couldn't help to slightly lower the menu to assess what she had already expected. That specific look made her head feel light and her body giddy. He never stared at anyone as intensely as when he stared at her, she would privately dream that that specific look was intended just for her. It made her feel special, but she knew how silly a dream like that was, even if he only looked at her that way.

His heart was bound by family duty and his emotions were restrained by his own personal goals. Plus, she knew he would never have feelings for a person like her. She was too insecure, weak during hot days, and his beauty far surpassed her own plain being. Most of all, she was indecisive when it came to making a quick decision which was not at all like him. He was the natural leader of their team because he was able to make a quick concise decision. He had always known what he wanted and she was sure it was never going to be her. That didn't stop him from being dear to her, as a friend, of course. So she had long ago deeply buried her feelings of more than friendship for her teammate and harbored a special comfortable friendship that they both enjoyed. Still, she blushed at the thought of her own girlish reaction, to be nearly twenty and act like a girl half her age should put her shame!

When she lowered the menu and looked over it at him, he could spy a modest blush creep up her cheeks. He supposed it was due to the weather, the heat did always bring on some color to her face, but he always found her blushes very becoming. With rosy cheeks she looked lovely and delicate, unbelievably feminine. It sometimes made him nervous to be near her when she looked that way, it was not that he was unaccustomed to thinking her lovely, but rather what made him uncomfortable was how he reacted to her. He could feel his stare get more intense from curiosity, hoping it wouldn't frighten her leading her to believe he was displeased with her or something silly she always lead herself to believe true. In his way he had to reassure her that nothing at all was amiss.

He smirked and knowingly asked, "Orange sherbert with strawberries?"

She nodded as she put the menu down hoping the blush had subsided by now, but instead now her cheeks were aflame. It was her response to his smirk unbeknownst to him. There was no craving for milk based ice cream today only something citrus-y and sweet and somehow Neji had known just that, just like he always seemed to know what she would want before it was known to her. Gingerly, she tucked away stray hairs behind her left ear and looked away at passersby. She always loved to people watch and never liked to be the center of attention. It was something both Neji and her had in common.

She had a way of exhibiting elegance with the simplest of moves that could entrance a young man's attention. A skill she had developed as an extraordinary kunoichi. No wonder she was Tsunade-sama's favorite to send on undercover missions that often involved seduction. She still had his attention more so now, that she tucked her hair away and looked pensively at pedestrians. Tenten was acting odd today and it was not the heat. The blush had deepened after his smirk which was not all her usual reaction. As a response she would smile back at him and tease him by saying smirking suited him better than brooding, but not today. Today she blushed a deeper shade of red than what he was used to seeing on her. Was she ill?

"Are you feeling alright?"

Tenten's head sharply turned to look at him startled. He caught her off guard, she was obviously not expecting the question. He could tell she was choosing her words carefully.

"I-I'm fine! Its just really hot today. That's all." Lying was not Tenten's forte. He had always payed close attention to her mannerisms and she was giving herself away by biting her bottom lip and brushing her bangs from her face.

"You're lying. Something's bothering you. What is it?"

She knew he knew when she attempted to tell a lie. His words were always tactful but the tone of his voice was menacing. She could never really lie to him. He knew her too well to fall for her weak attempts to change the subject. He knew he had her when she slumped her shoulders and sighed. She opened her mouth to speak when the waitress appeared to take their order. Tenten was a little relieved the waitress had chosen that moment to take their order.

She always felt kind of silly letting him know she had a new mission because he asked her all of the details involved. All of the details: who her target was, how long would it take, what exactly she was supposed to do, how she had to go about completing it successfully, etc. She supposed he just wanted to make sure she planned everything correctly so she could complete it efficiently and safely. If he was unsure of something he would advise her on different strategies, which she was grateful for on numerous occasions. But this specific mission was different. Tsunade had not gone over the mission thoroughly saying that she just wanted to make sure Tenten had not involved herself in a romantic relationship because it would make carrying out this specific mission difficult. She had to be ready for the Hokage to call on her if the mission had developed further for her to become involved.

Tenten could only imagine the kind of mission this would be. Some wealthy sleaze bag was probably buying out some of Konoha's important imports or he was probably going about the country side raping poor defenseless girls and now it would be up to Tenten to deal with him accordingly. She would do so without mercy. The fact that Tsunade-sama had not discussed the mission in detail was unsettling, it meant that it would not be one of the missions she was expecting.

Neji told the waitress what they wanted and returned to stare at Tenten. She looked as if she was caught in a trance and the blush that adorned her face a few moments earlier had disappeared now. It must be something serious, it just made him all the more curious. He waited as she recollected herself.

"Tsunade-sama gave me a new mission. She didn't tell me much about it, just asked the same question."

"The question concerning your relationship status?"

"Yeah, that very one. She always asks me that before she assigns me a new mission as if my relationship status is going to change, ever." She laughed but it it sounded remotely grim to her own ears. She hoped Neji didn't interpret it that way though. He cocked a brow and she knew he had.

"Why do you think that?" Again the waitress showed up to Tenten's aid. The waitress handed Tenten her orange sherbert and Neji a glass of cool lemonade. Chika, the waitress, winked at Neji as she walked away, which earned Neji a hearty merry-sounding laugh from Tenten. "You really know how to woo women Neji. Its one of your many talents, maybe Tsunade-sama should consider sending you on some of my missions too!"

Neji didn't find it very funny. "I'm not interested in wooing all women. I'm especially not interested in wooing any men." A frown was plastered all over his face.

"I was just teasing you! You are back to brooding and now I will, as always, remind you that smirking fits you better than brooding!"

After letting him know about her new mission she felt at ease and even more so after the incident with the waitress. Unless someone grew to know every aspect of Neji's mannerisms it would be impossible to tell he had just been uncomfortable, but Tenten had become familiar with all of them and could easily spot when he no longer had control of a situation, which as a result, made him uncomfortable and touchy.

She flashed him a big smile and his face no longer exhibited a frown. He smirked back as a response. They looked at each other without uttering a word for several moments. Neji smirking and Tenten happily smiling back at him.

To the people of Konoha Neji and Tenten appeared to be a couple. They were always seen together and it was obvious that when they looked at each other there was a warmth there that did not exist in an ordinary friendship. Everyone could see it but them. They were oblivious to it and just considered each other a close and dependable comrade. Which was why Tsunade-sama always questioned Tenten on the status of her relationship, but she never mentioned that she was inferring to the status of her relationship with Neji. Let those who love each other blindly use their eyes to eventually see what was clear to everyone but them.

Neji didn't mind when Tenten teased him. Really he didn't, he frowned as an automatic response because he knew she would smile back at him if he did and he loved to see her smile. What would it be like to wake up to that smiling face every morning was something he wondered every time he saw her. They had been more than teammates all these years, maybe something more than friends, but they had never acknowledged each other as something else. Was there something else in their friendship? He always made sure that she let him know of her missions in advance in order to asses how prepared she was for them. He knew she found it tedious but he just wanted to make sure she would come back safely to smile at him again. And she always came back smiling and teasing him. So he was not sure if what he felt for her was stronger than just respect and admiration for a comrade. He had to meditate and ponder if these foreign feelings he felt were real or imagined. Neji also wondered if she felt the same.

He was still smirking and he was also obviously thinking. It would pain her to put an end to his thoughts but they were both done, Tenten with her ice cream and Neji with his lemon aid. They had to resume training.

"Neji, we should get going soon before we lose another half an hour of training. Thank you for the sherbert it was refreshing and the entertainment."

"You're welcome."

She was still smiling as they both stood and walked over to the register to pay the bill. Chika was manning the register and handed her phone number to Neji along with his change. Tenten stifled a giggle that threatened to erupt when Neji gave her a warning glance. He bunched up the scrap of paper with Chika's number and tossed in a nearby trash can. Once outside Tenten turned to the direction of the training grounds while Neji stood and watched her go. Not sensing Neji's presence behind her, Tenten stopped walking and turned to look at her stationary teammate.

"Is there some-"

"Meet me at the training grounds tonight to finish training. Its too hot for you to be out there right now so we'll resume training once the temperature cools in the evening."

"OK. Um... What are we gonna do now?"

"I need to meditate. I'll see you then."

Neji never interrupted her and if he did then he must have had something to seriously reconsider if he cut training short to go meditate. Tenten looked a little worried but she brushed it off. She nodded in response and he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Although she was pretty good at deciphering Neji, sometimes he did things that puzzled her. With nothing to do, Tenten headed back to her apartment on the opposite side of the village.

He stood on the roof of the restaurant and watched her go. He recalled a conversation he had with Hiashi a few weeks earlier. They had discussed his future as a member of the Hyuuga clan and his duties. Among those were his impending marriage at the age of twenty and the special privilege Neji had received from his father's willingness to help protect Hiashi, he was allowed to choose his bride. His twentieth birthday was quickly approaching and he had not given selecting a bride much thought, but he did know he did not intend on marrying within the clan. If he was allowed to choose a bride himself he would make sure it was someone he could feel at ease with and respect.

After sitting with Tenten at the restaurant he wondered if she would find the prospect of marrying him repulsive. He respected her as person and admired her for her skills as a shinobi, he also managed to lighten up with her which was almost impossible with others of her sex. She was also very pleasing to the eye. So why not marry Tenten? He did have a choice after all. With his mind made up, Neji made his way to the Hyuuga compound.

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: So that's the end of the first chapter. This story is sort of experimental, so let me know what you think, should I continue it(I already have chapter two in the works)? Thank you for taking time off your busy lives to read my story. Review.


	2. Unattainable

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: Sorry it took a while, I had to move out of my dorm and move back into the city with my parents. I've already worked on some chapters for the future so maybe it wont take me as long to update, well it may because I started to look for a summer job and I enrolled myself in a local community college for summer so my brain wont rot. I looked at my GPA and saw it was a 3.4 something. Truly disappointing since my GPA last semester was a 3.56 so I got dumber. Any who, I'll stop my rant now and I'll let you read. OH! BTW, this chapter is dedicated to my two reviewers, **imf cutie **and **animegirl9989.** I've had more than 150 something hits but only two reviews, 'tis sad. So I am eternally grateful to you both.

Unattainable

Tenten unlocked the door to her apartment and set the keys on a table nearby after she walked in and closed the door. On the bright side she didn't have to train during the hottest hours of the day when she felt she was at her weakest. On the down side she wouldn't spend time with Neji and he probably thought she was as always, weak.

She sighed and walked up to her room as she discarded articles of clothing as she went. A very cold bath would be welcomed at the moment since she could feel sweat and dirt caked on her back and legs. She turned on the lights of her bedroom and made a beeline for the bathroom. The bathtub filled with water within a few moments while she let down her hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Just an ordinary face with ordinary brown eyes with unusually long but ordinary brown hair. There was nothing special about the girl staring back at her. Neji could never want someone as ordinary as her when he was nothing short of extraordinary himself. Long dark chestnut brown hair, unusual white eyes, and a body that seemed to be chiseled to perfection by training. Tenten envied Neji for being so beautiful. She laughed at the last thought, how silly was she for being envious of Neji's beauty.

She stopped staring at the mirror, turned the faucet off, and slipped her body into the cold depth of her tub. The one thing she loved about hot days was soaking herself in her bathtub full of cold water. She liked to pretend she was on a beach, swimming in the ocean. Her thoughts turned to Neji again. He was acting weird today cutting training short and resuming it later, it was very unlike him. What had caused him to act that way was beyond her comprehension, but still, she couldn't wait until she saw him again later. Something about training at night seemed romantic to her, although she suspected nothing would be out of the ordinary. Neji would give her hell during training and she would try her best not lose to him with the end result involving her defeat. She sighed and sunk her head underwater.

Neji arrived at the compound heading straight to Hiashi's office, he needed to discuss his intentions with the clan leader. Neji knew Hiashi was hoping he would continue tradition and marry within the clan but Neji didn't know of any reasonable women that could be considered an option. He was also sure Hiashi could fix that problem but there was no changing Neji's mind.

Neji knocked on Hiashi's door and heard his uncle allow him entry. Hiashi was standing in front of the large window overlooking the compound's courtyard, his back turned to Neji, while he made his way through the room. His uncle's presence would have been enough to scare anyone, it was overbearing and exuded the strict rigidness of his character. Hiashi's demeanor didn't phase him, he was used to dealing with such behavior on numerous occasions.

"Uncle, I have made a choice concerning a bride."

Hiashi turned to look at Neji and smiled at him. "Who is your choice? "

Neji looked at his uncle straight in the eye. "I have chosen someone outside the clan. I can not marry within the clan, not a single women suits my tastes."

"I never thought you would be picky when it came to choosing a bride but somehow I knew you would exercise your freedom of choice on an outsider. I suppose I would be correct to assume that your choice would be the one girl lacking a surname with no blood-limits."

Neji didn't take too well to Hiashi's harsh description of Tenten. Although she had no surname or blood-limits he could think of plenty redeeming qualities she possessed. Since Neji was intent on marrying Tenten anyway, she would not be surname-less for long. And her lack of blood-limits would make the Hyuuga's blood-limit easier to pass onto their children, after all the Byuukugan was a recessive trait. Wow, pro-creating with Tenten was not something he had thought about before, but he suspected it would not be terrible deed to accomplish, especially since Tenten was physically attractive.

"She is a great shinobi and will not be without a surname for long. I intend on giving her ours through a union. It does not matter if they disapprove, I will do as I please. I just wanted to make you aware of my intentions before you heard them from someone else. Gossip in this village spreads fast, it spreads even faster once inside the walls of the compound."

Neji bowed and turned to leave but Hiashi stopped him with a question he was not expecting.

"What if she will not have you? You have your mind made up but you have no idea if she will agree to become your bride."

Neji, with his back still turned to Hiashi, responded calmly. "She will not refuse me."

"You place so much confidence in this young woman. I hope for your sake that she agrees, for if she does not, you will marry within the clan. I will make it easier and choose for you. Do not take what I said about the girl to heart Neji, those are only the worries of the elders. If she chooses to have you, I will try my best to keep the elders from making you regret your union."

To any other person, Hiashi may have seemed cruel but Neji knew him better. It was his way of showing concern for his nephew. The elders could be harsh when their wishes were not carried out as they desired and they sorely wished for Neji to marry within the clan in order to produce powerful heirs with their perfected blood-limit.

Neji whispered a 'Thank you' and exited Hiashi's office. He had not even considered the possibility of being rejected by Tenten. Would she have him? What if she felt obligated to say yes? He did not want to force her into something she might regret later in order to help him achieve a goal that was set forth by his clan. He made his way to his room in order to gather his thoughts and retrieve something he would need for later.

After her bath, Tenten had planned on going to see Tsunade, she wanted to know if she was willing to discuss the mission in further detail, but she realized she still had not had eaten lunch let alone breakfast and her stomach was demanding something be put into it soon otherwise its growls would be audible to all of Konoha. The ice cream Neji had treated her to was just a snack to cool her down, so she changed her plans and decided to cook herself some lunch. It had been a while since she had cooked anything in her apartment and she could only suspect that both her fridge and pantry closet were void of any sustenance. Her top priority now was to head to the grocery store, but first she needed to get dressed, she was currently in just a bath towel.

She rummaged through her dresser drawers for any clean clothing and found only a black pair of shorts and a black top similar to that of Ino's without the collar and it had long sleeves. It was not all her style of clothing, usually she would chose to dress in a more conservative fashion. In fact, she didn't even recall purchasing the clothing, but they were the only things she had available at the moment. She looked at herself in the full length mirror and she would much have preferred to put on her usual garments even though they were sweat and dirt stained. Her conscious would not let her change back into something dirty after a bath, to her displeasure she kept her current clothing on.

There were a number of things wrong with the outfit. For starters, the shorts only reached mid thigh and were cut too low on her naval, and secondly, the top only managed to cover her clavicle bone and chest, leaving her stomach, lower back, and legs exposed. She hated the way she looked. She was starting to debate whether or not she should even go out in public in such a racy outfit, her stomach managed to convince her when it let out a growl. She could only find a single hair tie so she put her wet hair up in a high ponytail. Off to the supermarket she was.

On her way there, she noticed she was getting a lot of stares. Grabbing the whole village's attention was not exactly what she had set out to achieve, she was not the type of person who liked the limelight. She could understand why they were staring, it was not often they got to see the weapons mistress dressed so provocatively. It almost made her giggle. Those stares were usually reserved for Ino or Sakura and from time to time Hinata but never where they directed at her. She wondered if Neji would notice also. Although Neji was very observant, she doubted he would ever notice if she dressed differently or did her hair differently from what he was used to seeing. There she was again, dreaming up silly things.

At the grocery store she picked up a few items and on her way out Ino spotted her. Ino looked at Tenten up and down and flashed her a big smile, approving her outfit.

"You're wearing the outfit I gave you for your birthday last year! And look, you put your hair up in a ponytail too! I knew you wanted to look more like me. Honey I don't blame you, you'll have Neji wrapped around your finger dressed like that, just like I have Shika."

Tenten's jaw dropped. Now that she thought about it her appearance resembled Ino's closely. She could pass as her brunette twin sister.

"Close your mouth Tenten, its unbecoming."

"I knew I wasn't responsible for this horrible outfit."

"Oh Tenten-chan, you don't like it? You look wonderful!"

"No. I look like you. I don't need to be ogled by everyman I pass by. And what are you talking about me having Neji wrapped around my finger? Our relationship isn't like that. In fact, I don't even think we can call it a relationship, we're just teammates!"

Ino took no offense to Tenten's response. It only widened her smile further.

"Sure, Tenten, you're just teammates. That's why you guys always go on lunch dates together and that's why you stare into each others eyes lovingly because you're just friends. All of Konoha can tell, its just you two that can't see what's so plainly in front of you. I'll see you later I have to go meet Shikamaru and Choji at the gate soon. Bye Tenten!"

The flighty blond blew a kiss at the stunned brunette and ran off into the crowded streets. All of Konoha knew? What could they possibly know about her and Neji that they didn't. Nothing that's what. She walked back to her apartment deep in thought. They did often go out to lunch together but she wouldn't consider those dates and they did not stare at each other, Neji just liked to think and as a result he just looked at her. And she looked at him back cause he was really beautiful to look at. She sighed.

"Stupid Ino."

Neji sat on the floor of his room and meditated. He never intended to marry but he knew he would never have that much freedom. He was bound by family duty and thanks to his father, he could at least have a choice in the woman he would be bound to for the rest of his days. Growing up, he knew what being born into his family meant and from the moment he turned ten, Neji was constantly lectured on his family values and duties. To be able pass on the perfected family genes onto the next generation of Hyuugas was top priority. It disgusted him to think that he was just a baby making machine for his family but he didn't have much of a choice. What if he was sterile? That possibility made him chuckle, the elders would gauge their own eyes out from disappointment at the prospect. Sure Hinata could have her own children but it would not be the same. He, Neji, was supposed to be the epitome of the perfect Hyuuga male: young, powerful, handsome, intelligent, and very, very fertile.

In the eyes of the elders, his mission in life would only be complete once he had his own heirs that would one day surpass him in the qualities that made him so perfect. So in order to do so, he needed the perfect bride who would only aid him in creating the heirs that were so highly desired and not taint them with foreign blood. It didn't matter to Neji in the least bit if his family didn't find Tenten suitable, it was his choice after all and he wanted her. She was the only girl that didn't annoy him, the only one who seemed to hold her own as a kunoichi, and the only that didn't expect something from him. Tenten was perfect.

Neji got up from the floor, walked to his nightstand, and opened the first drawer. The only item he was looking for sat inside a little velvet blue box with the Hyuuga clan symbol. In it was the ring his mother had worn throughout her marriage and it would be the ring that Tenten would wear throughout theirs. He took the box out and set it atop the nightstand. He needed to prepare himself and the perfect proposal for her. The rest of the afternoon he would spend it meditating and making plans for the wedding. He was very valuable to the elders and marrying Tenten without their interference was going to be nearly impossible.

The rest of the afternoon flew by and Tenten never got around to seeing the Hokage, she ended up falling asleep on her couch after eating lunch and having very unusual dreams featuring a certain white-eyed shinobi. By the time she woke up it was time for her to meet Neji at the training grounds. She got up in a hurry and readied all her weapons and scrolls for training and took off. Time seemed to drag on when she wasn't spending it with Neji and the closer she got to the training fields, her heart beat faster from the excitement of seeing him again. She was acting like an infatuated school girl for the nth time, she couldn't help but be a little ashamed. Neji would always be but a distant dream to her. She had tried to shake off her feelings for him for years and she could never fully come to terms with herself. He would always be unattainable to her.

When she got fairly close to the training fields she started to walk there. She needed to be able to have control of her body when she saw him again, somehow that included not blushing madly when he got really close to her. Tenten's heart started to beat erratically. He was already there, waiting for her. It had been a long day for her and at long last she would get to see him again.

Neji had arrived at the training grounds long before Tenten had showed up. It was not customary for Neji to be nervous about anything. He was known for being cool and collected and so sure of himself. Earlier, when Hiashi brought up the possibility of Tenten rejecting his proposal, Neji tried to keep his mind from wandering to that unlikely possibility. If he thought about it even the slightest bit, his concrete foundation would crumble and his self-assurance would surely melt away. Nervousness would consume him. He was trying his best to appear confident.

He could feel her approaching him slowly. He didn't need to sense her chakra to know she was close, his body could always tell. The tiny hairs on his arms stood up on their ends, any second now she would emerge from the trees. She had no idea what she was in for.

She stepped through the trees and he had to take a closer look at her to make sure that it was in fact her. She was dressed not at all like herself but she was stunning even if the outfit was too revealing. He had never seen the contours of her body clearly before until that night. She had matured into a very attractive woman, that was obviously clear. He really liked her hair in a single ponytail too. As if she knew what he was thinking, Tenten blushed and approached him shyly. She had never seemed more darling to him than in that moment.

"Am I late?"

"I was just early."

She smiled and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She had always been much shorter than him, which he liked. He liked to look down at her and he secretly wished he could kiss her forehead, and maybe, possibly kiss her lips.

"You look...nice."

Her blush deepened. "Um, Ino's birthday gift from last year. I had nothing clean so...Thank you. You look nice too, well you always look nice. Uh. Should we, um... Should we start?" She started to unpack all her weapons as she made her way through the field. She mentally slapped herself for blabbering on.

"Yes, well I kind of needed to ask you something."

"What is it?" She continued to walk with her back turned to him. As if her heart was not beating fast enough, it's pace accelerated.

"It's something really important."

"Yeah." She kept walking.

"Would you marry me?" She stopped dead in her tracks but did not turn to face him.

"I don't think I heard-"

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Her heart stopped. Had he really just ask her to marry him or was she still asleep in her apartment, dreaming of this moment? She was quiet for a few moments which worried him. He had a feeling he was about to be turned down.

"Neji, I never expected those words to ever come out of your mouth, let alone be directed at me. Are you aware of what you're asking me?"

"I need an answer."

She turned to look at him slowly. Oh, no here it comes. "Neji, I-"

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: Cliffhanger, huh? Does this chapter seem incomplete? I think it was rushed a little. I kinda just wanted to get it published cause I had y'all waiting a couple of weeks already and I had a new idea for a story. It's going to be set in an alternative universe during the Victorian Era in England. I got the idea from all the various romance novels I own. Yeah, so let me know if you guys would be interested. I think its something unique and different that I have not seen published yet, well to the extent that I'm planning on developing it. I don't think I'll post it until I'm done with this story though. Let me know if I should stop doing author's note things cause I talk too much! Review!


	3. Picnic

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: Sorry it took so long! I always get started on the next chapter before I post the current one up but somehow I always end up never finishing it cause I get distracted! So on the last chapter I forgot a disclaimer. Haha. Anywho, this chapter is really long and I'm not too happy with it. Give me your opinions after you read.

Thank you to: **imf cutie, LaLa, Jins-swords, Akairyu Alizarin, and Chocolatemarshmallowcupcake94.**

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz, and Shonen Jump.

Picnic

Her lungs stopped working for a few moments after Neji asked her for her hand in marriage. She should have felt overjoyed and just had said yes as soon as the inquiry left his mouth but she was just beyond shocked. She had loved him secretly, in her heart for years, but because she knew that she was not the person intended for him, she had tried desperately to bury the feelings that kept sleep from claiming her on countless nights. Here he was now, offering her an opportunity to fulfill one of her dreams and she was speechless. Why would he ask her that? Of all the women in his clan, Konoha, why Tenten? Why her? There were so many other more beautiful, young, and skilled kunoichi that he could have asked and yet he asked her.

"Neji I-I... Why me?" She stood in front of him, just as she had done when she first arrived at the field, and looked up at him. There was something hidden in her bright eyes that he could not see.

"Because I wanted to. I don't think there is another woman who I can stand to be around."

On another occasion an arrogant response would have not been tolerated, Tenten would have quickly put Neji in his place. Tonight, though, she simply nodded her head and smiled at him.

"I need to get to know you better, Neji. Although we have been teammates for years, I don't know you that well on a personal level and you don't know me. I would hate to have to be bound to a stranger for the rest of my life and I'm sure you would too."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, I'll marry you. Only if you court me until the wedding. I want to get to know the Neji you have been keeping from me since the day we first met each other. There's someone hiding behind the mask of a genius and I intend to find out exactly who that person is. Tomorrow meet me at my apartment around midday; you can start then."

He smirked. She had managed to make him nervous earlier and now she had given him the answer he expected. His confidence was solid again. Neji dug his hand in his pocket and took out the little velvet box. Tenten eyed it curiously, fully aware of what was sure to be in it.

"You are right. I would hate to be married to a stranger I have known for years. I will court you until the wedding." Neji chuckled and received a light punch from Tenten. He opened the box and took out a diamond engagement ring. The diamond sat on a silver band with an intricate filigree design etched all around with a series of smaller diamonds encased throughout. It appeared to be, no doubt, expensive and a family heirloom. The diamond caught whatever light was left from the sun and shone beautifully as Neji placed it on her left hand.

Tenten looked at the added weight on her finger somewhat disbelieving it was indeed there. It fit her perfectly.

"It was my mother's ring and now it's yours."

She was still staring at it but now in awe. "Its lovely, thank you. I guess this means we're affianced now, huh?"

Neji nodded. "Strange isn't?"

"Very." She blushed a darling shade of pink. "Well I don't suppose you intended to train with me tonight, so with that being said, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Midday."

"Yup." She kissed his cheek and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a taken aback Neji.

He lifted his hand up to his cheek; he could feel heat rush up to his face as he smiled to himself. Tenten was the perfect choice no matter what the consequences.

Tenten laid on her bed playing with the ring on her finger. She still couldn't believe what had happened not so long ago. She had become content with loneliness. The love of her life had proposed to her but she was not as happy as she should have been. Neji had never shown any signs of affection towards her and she him. At the back of her mind she knew he had not asked her of his own free will. There had to be a reason behind it. Not wanting to sour her mood, Tenten decided that instead of being weary of the whole situation, she should be happy. She was going to get married and to Neji no less.

Maybe he was marrying her, to quote him, "because [he] wanted to." She smiled to herself as she fell asleep.

Neji arrived at the compounded headed straight for his room. He had decided on telling Hiashi tomorrow morning, before heading to Tenten's, about the outcome of tonight. Because his mind was still replaying the events from earlier, Neji failed to realize that his uncle was already in his room. Hiashi was seated on a chair in the farthest corner of the room, his eyes were closed. He looked to be deep in thought.

"What did she say?"

"She accepted."

Hiashi opened his eyes and stared into nothingness. Somehow, Neji knew where their conversation was headed.

"If she had said yes, the elders were determined to know more about her. Since she did, they want to know who she is and where she comes from and..."

"And?"

"They want to meet her. Alone."

"When?"

"They said they would let me know. I hope, for her sake, she doesn't frighten easily. As you know, they can be somewhat... intimidating. Let me meet her before you present her to them. If you chose her, there must be something special about her."

Neji nodded and sat on his bed, taking off his headband. It was his turn to close his eyes and think.

"Why her Neji?"

"She doesn't expect anything from me." Neji opened his eyes and looked at his uncle who had left the chair and was very close to the door. He looked at his nephew with what seemed to be understanding in his eyes.

"Hn. Good night."

Hiashi exited Neji's room and he was left alone with his thoughts. With his entire body now resting in bed, Neji looked at the ceiling. What he told Hiashi was true, he did chose Tenten because she didn't expect anything from him, which meant he was safe with her. She had known him best for years and she knew exactly the kind of person he was. She would not try to change him. But she wanted him to court her to get to know him. He thought he knew her pretty well and then he came to a realization. He only knew her as an apt shinobi and not as an ordinary person. The Tenten he knew was half a person, the one he could read with no problems. The other Tenten was a stranger to him. The same went for her. He didn't bother changing out of his training clothes, he was asleep within a few minutes.

Tenten woke up the next morning with an unusual feeling in her stomach. Butterflies were flapping up a storm. The reason: her fiance. Today Neji would start to court her. They had never spent any time together when they were not training or on a mission. He was always busy with his uncle and she would spend time with the girls whenever they were available. She regretted asking him to court her at first, but the more she thought about it, she was glad she had. They would get to spend more time together.

For the hundredth time she thought about the proposal. It seemed unreal. Last night he had told her she looked nice. She smiled to herself, he had never complimented her appearance before. Maybe she should dress like that more often. She giggled with girlish delight. She looked at the ring again just to reassure herself that it was still there. It was. She sighed and got up from bed to shower. He would arrive early, as was customary with him, within three hours.

She showered quickly and decided to clean her apartment before Neji arrived. As of late, she had been on several missions and training without end, that she ignored her apartment. There was a large pile of dirty laundry all over her bedroom floor, dust bunnies were sure to be under and around her furniture, and her kitchen was disgusting after yesterday. She would be the dirtiest wife in the history of the Hyuuga's. Well it wasn't like she was dirty by nature, she was just always busy. She put on an apron and gloves and attacked the mess, determined to make her home as presentable as she possibly could.

Neji turned his body to his side and sighed. He had woken up three hours late and all because his brain had been exhausted yesterday. He was never late for anything. She was already doing what he dreaded, she was beginning to change him unbeknownst to her. He got up and made his way to his shower, letting loose his long hair and stripping away yesterday's clothing. He turned the shower on and decided to wait a few minutes for the water to heat up. Neji looked at himself in the mirror and subconsciously frowned at his forehead. The cursed seal would always be there to remind him of the caste system that once had existed within his family. Hiashi had managed to do away with both the main and branch houses in order to better unify the family together, but the elders always demanded something in return for their compliance, they wanted to continue to uphold all of their traditions even if there were no houses to separate the clansmen. So although there were no diving houses, everyone still had to act as if they were still members of a specific house. Ultimately, what Hiashi had managed to abolish was the cursed seal. No longer would any children be put through needless pain, especially not his. Neji showered and dressed quickly. He needed to arrive at Tenten's early. There were many things he needed to discuss with her and the sooner he arrived the better.

Within two hours Tenten managed to clean her apartment and wash and dry a few loads of laundry. She couldn't have felt more accomplished. Now she only had half an hour to dress herself before Neji arrived. Tenten looked within her closet and found an ecru colored cotton dress to wear. Although she was unaccustomed to wearing anything other than pants or shorts with a t-shirt on her days off, she decided on the dress. She felt that the ring would stand out more with the color of the dress than the other dark clothing she wore on a regular basis. Well that was more of an excuse. She just wanted him to compliment her on her appearance again. Her time was winding down and she still had not fixed her hair. Hurriedly, Tenten fixed her hair in a messy bun that sat low on the back of her neck. She put on a pair of white sandals and gave herself a once-over in the mirror. Her outfit was uncharacteristically feminine.

Neji knocked on the door and waited only a few moments before Tenten answered. She stepped aside to let him in. She looked more beautiful now than she had last night. The off white dress really suited her coloring and her hair pulled back accentuated her narrow shoulders and neck. She walked over to her kitchen motioning Neji to follow her. The gentle sway of her hips eluded grace as she walked, she couldn't be anymore alluring.

"Pretty."

"Uh, thank you. I wanted to dress up a little because of yesterday. So, I just thought maybe we could go on a picnic today since, well... I'm not going to be courted, again, so I thought, why not go out on a picnic with my fiance and enjoy the day, like on a date!" She had been holding her breath the whole time and finally exhaled after her long rant. Neji stared at her confused.

"On a date?"

"Yeah, well we can eat and I can ask you a million questions about yourself to get to know you better. And then you can ask me. But I need to prepare something for lunch first or would you rather get something from a restaurant and eat that?"

"Show me how talented you are in the kitchen. Surely, Konoha's weapons mistress can handle knives as well as she can kunais."

"I can handle knives well enough to feed myself. Now I think I'll saute some shrimp with a side of white rice and a salad. For desert I'll just slice up the watermelon I got yesterday. Does that sound alright?"

"Sure."

"Well make yourself at home. Sorry if its a mess, its as clean as its gonna get. You can go into the living room and watch TV or something."

Tenten began to rummage through the cabinets and refrigerator looking for the ingredients as Neji walked out of her kitchen to the living area. He had been inside her apartment only once before but he had not payed much attention to what it looked like. The living room area was small and did not contain a lot of furniture besides a loveseat, two chairs, a coffee table, and the TV. It was pretty empty but with her career, she didn't really need more furniture. She barely used the furniture she already owned. The chairs didn't exactly match each other in style, the loveseat seemed to be too small to be able to seat two people at a time, and the TV was a prehistoric model. The walls were also bare, as was the coffee table. Nothing in the room could give him insight into her.

Neji sat down on one of the chairs and stared at the coffee table. A small corner of a paper stuck out from the drawer. Neji opened the drawer and took out the paper. It was a small picture of a child with long light brown locks and chestnut brown eyes looking away from the camera. A frown was plastered all over the child's face. He turned the picture back and saw, written in horrible penmanship, 'Patient: Tenten, Age: 5, Blood Type: B' scrawled across the left hand corner.

Tenten had never mentioned being a patient at a hospital before. Then again Tenten never mentioned much about her personal life. She was always very professional, very talented at separating her personal life from her professional. A talent that many kunoichi had trouble with. He looked at the photograph again. She was wearing what appeared to be a school uniform that had seen better days. Tenten appeared to be very defiant in the photograph turning away and frowning instead of smiling and looking straight at the camera. He wondered what could have caused that facial expression, why it was taken, and where. Neji placed the photograph back in the drawer and noticed a manilla folder with her name written across the dead center. It was aged and yellowed slightly crumbling at touch of his fingers.

"The food's ready."

At the sound of her voice he closed the drawer shut and placed his elbows on his knees, making it look like he was thinking. Tenten was standing in the doorway holding up a small basket on one hand and a blanket on the other.

"It's kinda empty isn't?" She waited until Neji nodded in response. "I don't spend very much time in that room. It's just such a cold room and I don't know. I don't like it in there."

They left the apartment and walked to the training grounds in silence, Neji carried both the basket and blanket. When they arrived Tenten placed the blanket under a tree and laid down on the floor as Neji placed the basket off to the side and sat down.

"Neji, lay with me." She turned to look at him with a smile on her face. He did so without arguing but decided to keep his distance.

"Why did you propose to me?"

"I told you yesterday, didn't I?"

"Yea, but, I know you didn't really ask me of your own free will. I mean, I doubt you would ever up and ask me to marry you of your own account. You can tell me you know, I already said yes and although no one knows about our engagement, I wont change my mind. You have my word."

"Hn."

"Have you told someone?"

He turned his head to look at her. Her face was quizzical, it was obvious she had no intention of dropping the subject.

"Since I'm going to marry you, I need for you to be able to talk to me openly. One word answers and questions as responses don't work."

He remained silent and turned to face the sky. It was a nice day so far, much cooler than yesterday had been.

"I can be patient."

He closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. "Hiashi-sama reminded me of my need to find a bride by my twentieth birthday, since its less than a month away I needed to choose quickly. The only person I could think to ask was you but I didn't want to let you know why. If I did, I thought I would guilt you into agreeing, possibly leading you to regret your decision in the future. So I didn't tell you. I didn't plan on telling you either."

He turned to look at her. She didn't stop smiling but the look in her eyes hinted at something other than happiness. Was she hurt by is honesty?

"Well, I'm glad you can turn to me in your time of need. I would agree to marry you even if you weren't pressured to. Don't feel guilty, I could never regret my decision. Besides, I'm going to marry one of the most handsome, if not the most handsome, men in all of the fire country!" Her laugh was loud and boisterous, a sound he really enjoyed. He felt the atmosphere lighten.

"Shallow are you Tenten?"

"Nope, not at all, just grateful."

"Tell me about your childhood."

She looked a little startled by question.

"M-My childhood?"

"You said this picnic was for us to get to know each other better. I'm going to take full advantage of that and ask you a million questions as well."

"Where do I start? Well, I am an orphan. I was found by the village gates when I was a baby and all they found on me was a note with my name and my birth date. Its pretty safe to assume that I'm not from Konoha. But this is the only place I've ever known, so it doesn't matter to me if I'm not from here. Konoha is my home. I grew up in a publicly funded orphanage. They are horrible places. There are way too many children in those institutions to be looked after properly. No child gets the love and attention that a child deserves. Most of the children were suffering from depression, including me. As a result, I acted rebelliously when I was there. I think all the caretakers must have hated me. Then, one day when I was five, I ran away. It was silly of me being so young and all. I was out on the streets begging for food for a while until I met my landlady. She is such a generous person, she allowed me to live in the apartment free of charge for all these years. She said she couldn't bare to see me begging for food on the streets when she could tell I was going to benefit the village one day."

Her smiled seemed melancholy now as she tried to hold back tears. It was not very often when he got to see her like this, he felt a slight tug at his heart. If he were another man, he would have taken her into his arms, but he was always aware of himself. He continued to stare at her, never offering a comforting word or touch. She blinked the tears away and ceased smiling.

"I have always tried to pay her back, she never lets me. I must owe her a fortune by now. Without her kindness I don't know what could have happened to me. I will always be grateful. Then I went into the Academy once I was old enough. From that point on you pretty much now everything."

She turned her head to him and stared back at him in silence. Her eyes searched his face for something he could not decipher. He looked back up at the sky.

"Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Well you did ask and how could I refuse you?"

He could feel her smiling at him again.

"The elders want to meet you,they're curious to meet the woman I have chosen. It should come as no surprise that they disapprove of you."

"Why don't they approve of me? Is it because I'm an outsider?"

He had not planned on telling her the full length of the truth, just enough to ease her mind, but she had always been very inquisitive. Satisfying her curiosity with little information would not keep her content. He had to tell her everything now. Well, not everything.

"When my father gave up his body for my uncle, I was granted a gift. At the time, my gift did not seem importnat, in fact it angered me. Why should all I get from my father's death be a stupid decision that I would not need to make anyway? The gift was a decision, a decision to choose my future bride. The elders believed it to be an insignificant choice in my future, especially since I was born a branch member. It was, until they realized my kekkai genkai surpassed the main house's, then the freedom to choose my bride seemed to be of the utmost importance. They want me to marry within the clan in order to perfect the Hyuuga genes, marriage to an outsider would be throwing away the perfect genetic opportunity. They are worried if we're to have children that they will be useless to the clan."

"So what you're saying is, you basically are going to marry me to defy them?"

"Not entirely."

"Then why else are you marrying me? Its not like we are romantically involved."

"You are the only on that does not expect anything from me."

He could see her from the corner of his eye, her face was flushed.

"Oh." She paused for a moment. "Do we have to have children?"

She sounded somewhat distressed. Did she find the prospect of having children with him so repulsive? He thought about it for a moment. The elders would not want fruit from their union.

"No."

He heard her sigh of relief. Was he not physically attractive or something? Women in the village always gave him appreciative glances, not that he noticed anyway. She had also mentioned that she was marrying one of the most handsome me in the Fire Country.

"So, uh, when's the wedding?"

"The day before my birthday."

"That's less than a month away! I don't suppose you have anything planned do you?"

"No. Hyuuga weddings are usually small ceremonies with a wedding breakfast instead of a reception. No one outside the clan is allowed to attend, unless you are the Hokage or invited specifically by the elders."

"So Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, Lee, or Gai-sensei wouldn't be able to attend?"

"Fortunately."

She frowned at him. "They aren't that bad. They're the closest thing to a family for me. I know they are all somewhat eccentric but still, you shouldn't be so mean. Who's gonna organize everything?"

"You." Tenten jumped up. Her eyes as wide as saucers and her mouth agape.

"ME? I'm an outsider remember? I don't know how your family runs things!"

"You'll most likely have both Hinata-sama's and Hanabi-sama's help. Even if you wouldn't ask for it, I'm sure Hanabi-sama will give you her opinion regardless."

"You know, I've never really gotten a chance to talk to Hanabi before."

"You have been lucky, believe me."

"Oh?"

"She's very adept at conversation."

"Sounds like the perfect little sister. I'm jealous." She snickered at Neji. She could picture him sitting stoically while Hanabi pestered him with her incessant talking. Neji shot her a teasingly haughty look. "I really am jealous of both Hinata and you. When do I get to meet her?"

"Tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Why not? I can give you a tour of my home, which will be yours in the near future. I'll introduce you to Hanabi-sama and her father."

"Your u-uncle?"

"Yes, he also wanted to meet you."

"Wow, him wanting to meet me is kind of intimidating."

"Not at all."

"It's cause you're used to him!"

"He's really not that bad."

"Says you."

"The food's going to get cold if we just talk all afternoon."

"You're right. Let's eat."

They ate lunch in silence and spent the rest of the day enjoying the weather. It was not stifling hot like yesterday had been. Occasionally, Neji would get up and train a little with Tenten as his audience.

xXBabyxDollxLaceXx: Ok. I know this was horribly long! I still don't know in what direction this is going. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but my writing style is changing. I'm still not sure how I want to write this out, maybe I'll edit it after I'm done writing it! Thank you for reading. OH! I'm also thinking about changing the title of the story. Any suggestions? Review motivate me to update faster!


End file.
